Presenting The 2009 She-Fan Awards, Part 5

For the fifth installment of the 2009 She-Fan Awards, which recognize a person, persons or event that helped the Yankees become World Champs for the 27th time, we turn to Joe Girardi and his anger management issues. In other words, we’re taking a closer look at the four instances in which he was ejected during the ’09 season. Did his fiery temper spark the Yankees to greater glory? Were his on-the-field tirades a good strategy? Did getting angry raise his blood pressure and put his health in jeopardy?

I have no clue about the last question, except that I remember reading something about angry people and heart attacks. In any case, here are the nominees for the 2009 She-Fan Award for Best Girardi Ejection…

– May 4th Versus the Red Sox –

The Yankees had lost the first three games of the season to Boston, and the pressure was on to beat the Sox. Phil Hughes, replacing Wang in the rotation, was facing Jon Lester and only lasted four innings. Girardi thought Hughes was being squeezed by home plate umpire Jerry Meals, but Joe’s big problem with Meals came later. Trailing the Red Sox in the fifth inning, the Yanks had Jeter up. Meals called him out on a questionable strike three, and the Captain was not amused. He hung around and gave Meals a few choice words – very un-Jeter-like. Girardi came rushing out to protect his player and was tossed almost immediately. What happened next? With Berroa on first, Damon homered on Lester’s first pitch. Then Tex homered on Lester’s next pitch. So Girardi’s ejection did spark a rally. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough and the Yanks fell again to the Sox 6-4.

– June 24th Versus the Braves –

The Yankees had been playing like chumps, not champs, having lost three in a row and five of their last six. There had been a players-only meeting the night before with Jeter and Tex telling the team, “We’re better than we’re showing.” The situation was so dire that Cashman made a surprise visit to Atlanta to let everybody know it was time to stop stinking it up. But the June 24th game got off to a miserable start. The offense was stymied by Braves rookies Kenshin Kawakami and Kris Medien, who were perfect through five. Then Gardner walked to lead off the sixth (so much for perfection), and the Yanks had a pulse – until first base umpire Bill Welke ruled that Gardner had been picked off. Replays showed Welke had blown the call, and Girardi came storming out of the dugout to argue. His ejection sparked a barrage of runs, beginning with Cervelli’s first major league homer. The Bombers beat the Braves 8-4 and Joba notched his first win of the season.

– July 6th Versus the Blue Jays –

It was the final home game before the All-Star Break and the final game in a four-game series against the Jays (the Yanks had already won the first three). Pettitte was facing Ricky Romero and looking for the sweep, but things got off to a rocky start. In the very first inning, Jeter led off with a walk, went to second on a balk and tried to steal third. Catcher Rod Barajas’s throw beat Jeet, but replays showed he avoided Scott Rolen’s tag. When third base ump Marty Foster called Jeter out, the Captain expressed his displeasure. “I was told I was out because the ball beat me and he didn’t have to tag me,” Jeter later told the media. “I was unaware they had changed the rules.” Meanwhile, Girardi came out to argue on his player’s behalf and was tossed. The Yankees overcame Pettitte’s ineffectiveness with five late runs, but they were not enough and Toronto won 7-6.

– September 13th Versus the Orioles –

The Yanks were playing the Orioles, but it was another battle between Girardi and Marty Foster, who was the home plate umpire this time around. In the fourth, A-Rod was up with bases loaded and struck out looking to end the inning. He did not think the pitch was a strike and argued with Foster to no avail, obviously. After the O’s batted in the top of the fifth – and some not-so-complimentary words from the bench by A-Rod and Girardi, Foster ejected both of them. Joe charged out of the dugout, as mad as anyone had ever seen him. He threw down his cap and mimicked Foster, who had waved his arms in the air when signaling the ejections. Eventually, the skipper was restrained by crew chief Wally Bell. As for the Yanks, they had an eight-run eighth inning and blew away Baltimore 13-3.

The envelope please.

The winner of the 2009 She-Fan Award for Best Girardi Ejection is…

***** June 24th Versus the Braves *****

All the Girardi ejections were entertaining and even inspiring the way they woke up the occasionally slumbering offense, but it was when Joe got tossed in Atlanta that the team really turned it up a notch. They had just lost their series against both the Nationals and the Marlins, and had fallen to the Braves in the opener of their three-game set. They were sputtering – not horribly, but enough to cause concern. After
Girardi’s ejection, they beat the Braves twice and went on to a brilliant second half of the season. Enough said, although I did enjoy the meltdown on September 13th.

Congratulations, Mr. Girardi, for losing your temper in such a productive way.

Oh, wait. Mr. Girardi is in Oslow, Norway, lobbying for the next Nobel Peace Prize. Accepting the gold fan on his behalf are Yankees hangers-on and co-stars of the movie “Anger Management,” Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler.

24 comments

Hello Jane, as promised, I’m here.. sorry I haven’t been able to comment as often as I used too, but I just started my new job and well, I’m trying to get adjusted, or my body is trying to get adjusted to waking up at dawn basically… I was already getting used to going to bed at 4am and waking up at 3pm… I won’t lie, I miss it, but I’m happy I have a job.
Anywhooo, I must say all ejections would tie. I love ejections, it’s fun to watch… wait… no, they’re not… I prefer fights! ;0)

All right Jane — before you throw in the towel and shout “Enough Already!” I suggest at least one more award. And furthermore, I suggest that you — that’s YOU, Jane — not be allowed a vote, because I suspect your inherent modesty might possible blind you to a truth that’s obvious to all your readers. So here goes — I hereby solemnly nominate Confessions of a She-Fan for a diamond-studded, platinum trophy — the only suitable award for the Best Damn Baseball Blog on the planet.

You’re a winner, Jane — just like the Yanks — and those resounding crystal “clinks” you now hear are your readers’ champagne glasses raised in a congratulatory toast!

All right Jane — before you throw in the towel and shout “Enough Already!” I suggest at least one more award. And furthermore, I suggest that you — that’s YOU, Jane — not be allowed a vote, because I suspect your inherent modesty might possible blind you to a truth that’s obvious to all your readers. So here goes — I hereby solemnly nominate Confessions of a She-Fan for a diamond-studded, platinum trophy — the only suitable award for the Best Damn Baseball Blog on the planet.

You’re a winner, Jane — just like the Yanks — and those resounding crystal “clinks” you now hear are your readers’ champagne glasses raised in a congratulatory toast!

Jane,
I absolutely agree with all the comments! You are the most entertaining blog, no, website ever! My husband and I can’t wait to read your new installment.
Great pics of Joe. You got it right, once again!
Kathleen

Rob, that was quite a speech! I’m honored and flattered and very touched that you have such affection for the blog. Every time I think about giving it up, a swell reader like you comes along and stops me. But I’m giving out the She-Fan Awards (two more to go) and I’m not nominating myself! I’ll drink the champagne with you though. 🙂

Thank you, Diane. I’m blushing. We’re supposed to be talking about Girardi’s ejections and here you are talking about me!

But you’re down to the wire on the Celebrity Yankee Fan of the Decade, El Duque. No time for Yankee Blog of the Decade. (I voted for LeBron, by the way. He had the courage to wear his Yankees cap in Cleveland during the ALDS. That’s true fandom.) I liked the Meals toss-out too, but had to go with Atlanta.

I’m grateful to you and your husband for being such loyal readers, Kathleen. Thanks very much. Glad you liked my selection for this award.

Yeah, that call at third by Foster was insane, Melissa. I left out the part about how Foster wouldn’t talk to the media after the game but asked crew chief John Hirschbeck to do it, and Hirschbeck said, “In my 27 years of umpiring, Jeter is probably the classiest player I’ve ever met.” He went on to say that if Jeter was confused about the play there must have been a reason! Thanks to you for the kind words about the blog. As for Tiger, are you referring to Jeter’s interview on Fox where he said he and Tiger were good friends?

UsMagazine.com describes an erotic dream that Tiger Woods reportedly sent Rachel Uchitel, one of his alleged mistresses. According to the web site, Woods told Uchitel in an email that he envisioned her having sex with Derek Jeter and Bones star David Boreanaz at the same time. The juicy email describes his fantasy in lurid detail:

“I had a dream we were married and I was leading the tournament,” Woods reportedly wrote. “I came home, excited to see you, and there you were in the bedroom getting f–ked by Derek and David [Boreanaz]. Some part of me thinks you would like that.”

So I say, Tiger, keep your lurid thoughts of our captain to yourself!!!

On another note, in New Yorker magazine (which I read while waiting at the chiropractor), they surveyed people as to what companion they’d want. Some said Yorkshire Terriers. I forget what others said, but the only person mentioned was Jeter.

Melissa, I don’t even know what to say about the US Magazine thing except that I second your sentiments that Tiger should leave Jeter out of his fantasies!!!! They shouldn’t share girlfriends either. Eueww. In today’s Daily News there’s a story about yet another cocktail waitress who says she had an affair with Tiger. As I wrote on another blog, I still remember when people were driving around California with bumper stickers that read: “I had Steve Garvey’s baby.” Funny about the New Yorker survey.

Thanks for the nice words, Freya. It gives me great pleasure to know you’re reading the blog every morning. So it’s like your cup of coffee? 🙂

I’d love to get a pie from A.J., Barbara. That would be the coolest thing ever! Don’t ever worry about the blog being an obligation. Yes, I might start to cut back and/or make some changes in it, but with the Yankees there’s always something to write about. I can’t help but stick my two cents into whatever’s going on. I never saw “Anger Management,” and from your review I’m glad I didn’t. I had no idea Jeter was in it either. He’s the man.

Kudos to you Jane. I totally agree with all the well deserved awards for you and your wonderful blog. I look forward to waking up every day and reading it. You have done an outstanding job.
Freya from New York

jane you and your blog totally should win an award for making us happy, connecting us, making us laugh, informing us, bringing us great pictures, videos, being amazing and helping to make the season even better. you should get a pie from aj. with that being said, i hope you get a day/week off and this blog and us happy readers don’t become your obligation.
about anger management. i watched in on tv a few weeks ago because i heard the yankees and jeter were in it. i hated it. i found it so annoying and yes jeter was great but two good minutes was all i got. too bad i didn’t get the dvd so i could have fast forward to the only part i liked.
an of course you picked the best meltdown.
barbara

Wow, Girardi got ejected four times this year? Funny, he doesn’t strike me as the sort who would lose his temper and get into arguments with the umpires. Of course, I’m used to a guy who gets tossed about once a week.-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.blogspot.com

He’s a little tightly wound, Erin, but not a Lou Pinella type who goes around kicking dirt and blowing his stack just for the hell of it. I didn’t realize Gardenhire got tossed a lot. He was very well behaved during the ALDS and he had good reason to lose his temper.

I agree with rob storm 300% you deserve an award… like a kick *** award… hmm… maybe we can steal the Wolrd Series trophy and give it to you? It would look better than that Emmy award as a centerpiece next Thanksgiving, no? LOL I’mnot an avid boxing fan, but I do enjoy watching fights. My dad, once he lost hope of becoming a major leaguer, became part of the boxing comission here in Panama for a while… but I’m not THAT into boxing… I mean, I don’t even know the rules….LOL